tear-filled eyes.
Jeremy reached into the truck for his hat and pushed it down on his head, calling himself a few choice names. Beth was standing in front of him, teary-eyed and tired. She didnât need an info dump.
âBeth, Iâm sorry.â
She shook her head. âNo, I am. It was my fault for pushing you.â
âNo, it wasnât. You said what everyone else has been thinking and maybe youâre right. But I guess that doesnât mean Iâm going to change my mind.â
âI know and I do understand.â And then she smiled, bright as summer sunshine after a storm. A storm like the one theyâd just been through. âBut I am going to stop you.â
âI donât know how. Itâs my land and Iâm all set. I just have to get the final permit from planning and zoning.â
Her brows shot up and her expression changed, making him wonder. He had a bad feeling. No one knew small-town politics better than he did. Heâd been dealing with the city of Dawson for weeks, trying to get things squared away so he could move forward.
âWe should go.â Right, they should go. And he figured he should plan on a battle for the church.
âI can drive you to your house now, if you want.â
âMy truck is at the church.â
âGotcha.â
The ambulance was pulling away. As it headed down the drive, a few trucks pulled up. Jeremy knew it was time to hit the road as Tim Cooper and several of his sons got out of one of their big Ford F-350s.
âLetâs hit the road.â Jeremy walked around to the tailgate of his truck. Heâd left tools out that he needed to store in the box before they left.
Before he could get them all in the toolbox, someone called his name. He turned as Reese Cooper headed in his direction. Tim Cooper stood next to the truck Reese had gotten out of. Jeremy nodded at the other man. They shared DNA, that was it.
The day after Jeremyâs mother interrupted services at Back Street Church to tell the world who her sonâs father was, Tim Cooper had offered Jeremy a big check. Not an apology, just a check. Jeremy had ripped the paper into pieces and walked away. Heâd made the grand announcement that heâd do just fine on his own. Heâd gotten a scholarship to ride on a college rodeo team. Heâd already made some money riding bulls. He didnât need anything the Coopers had.
He skipped another glance in the direction of Tim Cooper before he switched back and focused on Reese. At one time he had needed family. By the time he turned eighteen that need had been left in the dust.
Reese stopped in front of him. Younger by just a couple of years, Reese was one of the more serious members of the Cooper clan. He didnât have Jacksonâs attitude or ladiesâ-man personality. He wasnât a clown like Travis. He wasnât full of himself like Blake. He wasnât nearly as likable, in Jeremyâs opinion, as Jesse.
âHowâs Mark?â Reese rocked back on his heels a little.
âBroken leg.â
Reese nodded. He shot a nervous glance in the direction of his father and then landed his direct gaze backon Jeremy. âNeed some help getting a shelter set up at Back Street?â
Jeremy shrugged. âI donât have a clue, Reese. Iâm not sure who all will be there or what needs to be done. Iâm heading that way now to see where to start.â
âWeâll be over to help.â It was a statement, not a question. The younger man didnât leave room for objections. Jeremy smiled a little easier. Reese Cooper was his half brother. He respected him for cowboying up and not backing down.
âThatâs fine, Reese.â Jeremy shot a look past Reese, in the direction of Tim and a couple of his sons. âTell your dad he can stay home.â
Reese opened his mouth and closed it pretty quickly. âSure, Iâll tell him. Hey, I joined the army. Iâm